What is it with women cyclists?

Cafewanda
Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
edited April 2010 in Commuting chat
Some of us have a strong and potentially fatal attraction to filtering to the left of buses, where most men fear to tread. Why?? :shock:

Last night, I'm pootling up Clapham High Street [I don't filter in heavy traffic so don my 'very small car' persona]. There is a bus in front, very close to the kerb. Cyclists of both sexes appear but most meander through traffic and filter on the extreme right. Not this particular woman who decides she must, absolutely has to, continue forward in the very small gap beside the bus. Of course, the traffic starts to crawl forward and she is forced onto the pavement otherwise she would have been flattened :roll:

Fast forward to this morning and a similar situation at Borough tube station :roll:


And for the good news:

'Cheers', to the driver of the grey car who dropped back to let me go in front, just pass Oval tube station this morning and to the bus driver at E&C roundabout last night :D
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Comments

  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    trust in the magic powers of bike lanes paint? i don't know to be honest it does seem to sadly come up.
  • always_tyred
    always_tyred Posts: 4,965
    Men have bigger shoulders. They can't fit down those little gaps.
  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    Sadly there does seem to be a high proportion of fatal accidents involving ladies and large vehicles at junctions in Lundun. No idea why this should be.
  • tardington
    tardington Posts: 1,379
    :lol: Let us know if you "friend" has any more adventures.... :wink:
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    roger merriman wrote:
    trust in the magic powers of bike lanes paint? i don't know to be honest it does seem to sadly come up.

    They are in very short supply on my route, but I used to think common sense applied in these situations, but clearly not.
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    tardington wrote:
    :lol: Let us know if you "friend" has any more adventures.... :wink:

    :) I hope you are not trying to imply that I'm the one who has suicidal tendencies :) This particular cycling proby loves her life and and am quite happy (insistent even) to be a small car in heavy traffic....................... unless I'm at Borough High Street when I filter on the extreme right. Wow, that 'fear begone' juice works a treat then :D
  • amnezia
    amnezia Posts: 590
    I saw a male cyclist undertake a taxi indicating left a at junction. If the driver hadn't seen him he'd be being scraped off the road this morning.

    Men can behave like lemmings as well.
  • soy_sauce
    soy_sauce Posts: 987
    it depending on the confidence of the cyclist/commuter at the time if they feel they could make it or not. and it could be either men or women.

    in this case, she didn't. :roll:
    "It is not impossible, its just improbable"

    Specialized Rockhopper Pro Disc 08
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    I've noticed that certain cyclists of both sexes seem to have a magnetic attraction to the gutter/curb and seem to fear moving any further than 3 feet from it, almost as thought it's some kind of safety matt where no harm can come to them. Especially now that the good weather has drawn out the summer cyclists whose bikes have been languishing in a shed or garage somewhere. Whenever possible I cycle down the centre of the lane, moving over if traffic approaches from behind.

    Another thing I've noticed is that some cyclists leave it to the very last minute to pass an obstruction on the left - a bus at a stop, dustcart, taxi pulled over for a fare or whatever. They see said obstruction, brake or freewheel til they are about 3 metres from its rear and then start to try to pull round into the traffic by which point they are going significantly slower than the traffic and cannot get out and have to stop or make a dangerous suden manoeuvre into the traffic.

    If you see an obstruction ahead, surely you begin to speed up to get as close as possible to the speed of the motor traffic and begin to pull out from 10-20 metres away, integrating yourself into the traffic on the right as you do so. Slowing down or stopping surely makes passing obstacles more dangerous and scary as you suddenly have to put on a last minute spurt or accelerate from standing to get round.
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    I reckon those wimmen would have been more successful in 'dangerous' filtering if they'd been on racers :wink:

    Hybrids clearly ain't made for this manoeuvre!
  • tardington
    tardington Posts: 1,379
    Headhuunter wrote:

    If you see an obstruction ahead, surely you begin to speed up to get as close as possible to the speed of the motor traffic and begin to pull out from 10-20 metres away, integrating yourself into the traffic on the right as you do so. Slowing down or stopping surely makes passing obstacles more dangerous and scary as you suddenly have to put on a last minute spurt or accelerate from standing to get round.

    Remember while doing this to do a sort of half signal - arm out at 45 degrees from vertical, and only one finger pointing out... 8)
  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    Cafewanda wrote:
    I reckon those wimmen would have been more successful in 'dangerous' filtering if they'd been on racers :wink:

    Hybrids clearly ain't made for this manoeuvre!

    Ah - I think I can see your problem Wanda - what you need is a bright yellow SS with the bars cut down to around 15" :twisted:
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    Jay dubbleU wrote:
    Cafewanda wrote:
    I reckon those wimmen would have been more successful in 'dangerous' filtering if they'd been on racers :wink:

    Hybrids clearly ain't made for this manoeuvre!

    Ah - I think I can see your problem Wanda - what you need is a bright yellow SS with the bars cut down to around 15" :twisted:

    Lissen up Jay, I love my hybrid (with pitchfork) :wink: , besides which I'm still on 'probation' cycle-wise so not eligible for bright red SS just yet :cry:
  • biondino
    biondino Posts: 5,990
    Wanda's next bike:

    171547505_8c2709ef88.jpg
    My Focus / My Bob Jackson
    Blog (incl. bikes)
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    Blondie I can't get on that thing. I'd need a stepladder :shock: :shock:

    ................... AND I'm a wee 4'11 thingie so if you swop the positions of the seat and handlebars it might, maybe, be right for me....................... next year sometime :lol: :oops:

    and that's NOT red, it's pink and pink is not my colour :P
  • Headhuunter
    Headhuunter Posts: 6,494
    Cafewanda wrote:
    Blondie I can't get on that thing. I'd need a stepladder :shock: :shock:

    ................... AND I'm a wee 4'11 thingie so if you swop the positions of the seat and handlebars it might, maybe, be right for me....................... next year sometime :lol: :oops:

    and that's NOT red, it's pink and pink is not my colour :P

    4'11"?!? Seriously? What size frame is your bike?
    Do not write below this line. Office use only.
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    Er...... it's a 15" Trek T10 currently and yes, I do think it might be a tad big for me :oops: but it's a WHOLE lot smaller than the Ridgeback Comet 17" I was sold 4 years ago (from Evans) as my first ever ever bike.

    Any comments about baby bikes and I'll bet the lot of ya :evil:
  • Sewinman
    Sewinman Posts: 2,131
    Its a bit morbid, but how do people end up underneath a lorry turning left?

    I can't imagine how it would happen, surely one can get out of the way if one absolutely has to?
  • soy_sauce
    soy_sauce Posts: 987
    Cafewanda wrote:
    Er...... it's a 15" Trek T10 currently and yes, I do think it might be a tad big for me :oops: but it's a WHOLE lot smaller than the Ridgeback Comet 17" I was sold 4 years ago (from Evans) as my first ever ever bike.

    Any comments about baby bikes and I'll bet the lot of ya :evil:

    you are same height as my gf and her bike is a 17" 10 year old Apollo MTB with the seatpoll set all the way down. :)
    "It is not impossible, its just improbable"

    Specialized Rockhopper Pro Disc 08
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    soy_sauce wrote:
    Cafewanda wrote:
    Er...... it's a 15" Trek T10 currently and yes, I do think it might be a tad big for me :oops: but it's a WHOLE lot smaller than the Ridgeback Comet 17" I was sold 4 years ago (from Evans) as my first ever ever bike.

    Any comments about baby bikes and I'll bet the lot of ya :evil:

    you are same height as my gf and her bike is a 17" 10 year old Apollo MTB with the seatpoll set all the way down. :)

    That's EXACTLY how I had the Ridgeback too :lol::lol: . It was the weight that was the killer as I have to carry my bike up 4 flights of stairs. Hence my obsession with getting a lighter bike if my company is doing the C2W scheme this October
  • soy_sauce
    soy_sauce Posts: 987
    Cafewanda wrote:
    soy_sauce wrote:
    Cafewanda wrote:
    Er...... it's a 15" Trek T10 currently and yes, I do think it might be a tad big for me :oops: but it's a WHOLE lot smaller than the Ridgeback Comet 17" I was sold 4 years ago (from Evans) as my first ever ever bike.

    Any comments about baby bikes and I'll bet the lot of ya :evil:

    you are same height as my gf and her bike is a 17" 10 year old Apollo MTB with the seatpoll set all the way down. :)

    That's EXACTLY how I had the Ridgeback too :lol::lol: . It was the weight that was the killer as I have to carry my bike up 4 flights of stairs. Hence my obsession with getting a lighter bike if my company is doing the C2W scheme this October

    :lol: the bike's weight is too much for her that i have to carry it up and down the stairs when we go out for a ride. (bikes locked at the basement) :roll:
    "It is not impossible, its just improbable"

    Specialized Rockhopper Pro Disc 08
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    Oh stop :roll: :roll: , that's (one of) the reasons she has you around :wink:

    I don't suppose your suggestion of weight training to ensure handling of said bike would go down well? :)

    Between running and cycling, I can't afford gym fees also - that's my excuse anyway 8)
  • Oddjob62
    Oddjob62 Posts: 1,056
    Cafewanda wrote:
    Oh stop :roll: :roll: , that's (one of) the reasons she has you around :wink:

    I don't suppose your suggestion of weight training to ensure handling of said bike would go down well? :)

    Between running and cycling, I can't afford gym fees also - that's my excuse anyway 8)

    Cycle, pick up bike run up stairs, run down stairs, repeat. Sounds like perfect cyclocross training.
    As yet unnamed (Dolan Seta)
    Joelle (Focus Expert SRAM)
  • tarquin_foxglove
    tarquin_foxglove Posts: 554
    Sewinman wrote:
    Its a bit morbid, but how do people end up underneath a lorry turning left?

    I can't imagine how it would happen, surely one can get out of the way if one absolutely has to?
    Have you never stood at a junction waiting to cross and had a white van (or bigger) make the turn but then its rear wheels come across the curbs & pavement?

    Assuming you've done everything right & you've still been left hooked by the a lorry, if you avoid its front wheels, the rear ones will be coming on a tighter turning circle and can still catch you.
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    I try to do a sprint finish on the road before my turning so nothing left in the tank for more than crawling up the stairs with Trek.

    I'll try it with the next bike though :)
  • rhext
    rhext Posts: 1,639
    Sewinman wrote:
    Its a bit morbid, but how do people end up underneath a lorry turning left?

    I can't imagine how it would happen, surely one can get out of the way if one absolutely has to?

    As the lorry turns left, the middle part of the load tends to cut the corner. If you're unlucky enough to be inside one while that is happening then you're a bit buggered. If the corner's got railings on it, you have no chance, but even if it doesn't you can be knocked off your bike and under the rear wheels before you realise it's started to sweep in on you.

    I think it's an experience thing.....having had a near miss when I was a kid, I would never, ever go up the inside of a long vehicle.
  • soy_sauce
    soy_sauce Posts: 987
    Cafewanda wrote:
    Oh stop :roll: :roll: , that's (one of) the reasons she has you around :wink:

    I don't suppose your suggestion of weight training to ensure handling of said bike would go down well? :)

    Between running and cycling, I can't afford gym fees also - that's my excuse anyway 8)

    since she is having a personal trainer to plan her trainning, i might just contact her trainer to suggest that idea and add that in her trainning plan. :lol: :twisted:
    "It is not impossible, its just improbable"

    Specialized Rockhopper Pro Disc 08
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    tarquin_foxglove wrote:
    Sewinman wrote:
    Its a bit morbid, but how do people end up underneath a lorry turning left?

    I can't imagine how it would happen, surely one can get out of the way if one absolutely has to?
    Have you never stood at a junction waiting to cross and had a white van (or bigger) make the turn but then its rear wheels come across the curbs & pavement?

    Assuming you've done everything right & you've still been left hooked by the a lorry, if you avoid its front wheels, the rear ones will be coming on a tighter turning circle and can still catch you.

    Just like bendy busses :evil:
  • Cafewanda
    Cafewanda Posts: 2,788
    soy_sauce wrote:
    Cafewanda wrote:
    Oh stop :roll: :roll: , that's (one of) the reasons she has you around :wink:

    I don't suppose your suggestion of weight training to ensure handling of said bike would go down well? :)

    Between running and cycling, I can't afford gym fees also - that's my excuse anyway 8)

    since she is having a personal trainer to plan her trainning, i might just contact her trainer to suggest that idea and add that in her trainning plan. :lol: :twisted:

    Upper body strength can be a bit pants when cycling (in my limited experience, admittedly). Just DON'T mention my name EVER in reference to her training plan :D:D
  • Sewinman
    Sewinman Posts: 2,131
    Aha, i see. Thanks chaps.

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